Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include one or more process chambers that are adapted to carry out any number of processes, such as degassing, cleaning or pre-cleaning, deposition such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), or atomic layer deposition, coating, oxidation, nitration, etching (e.g., plasma etch), or the like. One or more load lock chambers may be provided to enable entry and exit of substrates from a factory interface. Each of these process chambers and load lock chambers may be included in a cluster tool, where a plurality of process chambers may be distributed about a transfer chamber, for example. A transfer robot may be housed within the transfer chamber to transport substrates to and from the various process chambers and load locks on one or more end effectors. Conventionally, a slit valve opening is provided between the transfer chamber and each process chamber and load lock chamber. One or more end effectors (e.g., blades) of the transfer robot may pass through the slit valve opening to place or extract a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer, glass plate, or the like) into or from a support (e.g., a pedestal or lift pins) provided within the process chamber or load lock chamber.
Once the substrate is properly disposed within the process chamber, the slit valve may be closed, and the processing of the substrate may commence. As part of the processing, particles may be formed due to moving components in the system. If such particulates come to rest on the processed substrates, this may impact the quality of the substrate. To minimize particulates, prior systems have included a gas inlet into the transfer chamber underneath the robot as well as a gas exit out of the transfer chamber, also under the robot to accomplish purge of the transfer chamber. However, such systems have been generally ineffective.
Accordingly, improved transfer chamber gas flow apparatus, systems, and methods are desired.